SEPTEMBER
This month was rather low key. We bought a futon for the upstairs room so that Arya can be comfortable if he wants to sleep up there and when he decides to sleep downstairs in his own room one day, we can turn it into a couch. :)

We also visited Sara's house for her niece's baby shower. Arya is in the middle in orange. hard to see you my sweetie.
Days at school have been ok for Arya. The teacher is a little strange however.
Again at Chloe's birthday party. Similar to the years before.
Same friends and all girls except Arya. From the left: arya, sophie, chloe, loren and her sister, ashley, and another girl I can't remember her name.
Boys will be boys and their electronics. Arya and Jamil share the same love of games and the ipad.

My favorite is seeing him read...
OCTOBER
We did the anti-Halloween thing together and enjoyed what we celebrate instead being "Harvest Day" Much rather celebrate living veggies and fruits than dead skulls and demons.
NOVEMBER
Thanksgiving is Arya's favorite holiday. He says it's because it's the only holiday that you give Thanks and what better than to be thankful and give it not just once a year but all year long...
Since we did not dress up for Halloween or even celebrate it, we decided to make Thanksgiving a dress-up occasion. Be what you want...so we did.
Kamran and Baba were Mexicans, Tina was a pie, Jamil was a turkey, Arya was a ninja, mom was a chicken on her head, Ali was a surgeon and I was a stylish older woman with short hair. haha.
It was also Arya's first time EVER ice skating. He really liked it and did not want to stop! he wanted to stay there forever if he could. it was a lot of fun. We came with Christina and Jamil.
Afterwards we went to the Galleria mall and had a great time watching the kids ride on the animals and check out the stores.
Arya gets a HAMSTER!!! Yes! A baby girl Robo-Russian hamster. Too tiny but he loved her and she is soooo cute.
We got her from Petco and took her home. He has a little friend to play with now :)
DECEMBER
It seemed like this was the longest month of the year. Not only because I worked more than ever before with so many overtime hours, but also because Arya waits until New Years to open his gifts. Remembering my years of doing Christmas was fun as a kid, but I was clueless then and never thought why people do this or what does it all mean. Thankfully now we do and as much as we respect others who celebrate it, we have our own way to enjoy these precious days.
To me, chopping millions of trees and then throwing them away never appealed to me. And finding out our beloved prophet Jesus was not even born in December even made it more real that Christmas is not even really about him. It's about businesses making lots of money and the best way they can make people crazy. I do love the lights and snow. And it doesn't mean we have to give up giving gifts. Just not on that day.
We decided to go to the movies for Kamran's birthday to see Star Wars 7!!! Wow it was awesome.
